(GREEK NEWS AGENDA) The Hellenic Parliament passed a law which will make photovoltaic (PV) cells more accessible to home owners by providing them with subsidies for PV systems – which convert solar radiation into electrical energy. According to the new legislation, systems of over 10 megawatts will be subject to competition. The Regulatory Authority for Energy is to set rates for granting permits and the state will guarantee the sale prices of kilowatt-hours. Until now, subsidies for these systems did not apply to domestic applications, as only commercial systems were eligible for grants ranging from 20 to 40% – the incentive for these being a tax deduction. The government promised to raise the hurdles that block the growth of renewable energy sources by setting new rules on application approval. In this way, the nation will be able to take advantage of its tremendous solar potential. Greece has about 24 megawatts of solar power installed while the government’s goal is 700 megawatts under the feed-in tariff program. In related news, a new survey by Hellastat SA reveals the growth of Greece’s renewable energy sources sector. The total power production from the industry was 878 MW at the end of 2006 and the average annual growth rate in the period 1990-2006 was 23%. By the end of 2007 the total power production including large hydroelectric projects was 4,060 MW. Source: Athens Plus: Subsidies on the way for home photovoltaic systems (23.1.2009, p.15); Hellenic Association of Photovoltaic Companies: The Greek PV Market: New PV law passed in January 2009; Secretariat General of Information – World Media on Greece – Science and the Environment: Renewable Energy Sources in Greece Additional Information: Centre for Renewable Energy Sources; & Secretariat General of Information: About Brand Greece – Energy Policy of Greece